I rarely ever post anything about DVD deals online, but this was too huge to ignore...
Is anybody out there a fan of Alfred Hitchcock? If you are, DO NOT PASS UP this awesome deal I just came across tonight:
Over at Amazon.com (where they're having a HUGE DVD box-set sale, by the way) they have the 15-disc "Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection" on sale for HALF OFF the normal price of $120.00 - it's only $62.00!!
You get 14 films - that's only $4.40 per movie - plus a 15th disc of bonus material (not to mention movie-specific bonus material on each disc).
The movies included are:
Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, The Birds, Shadow of a Doubt, Family Plot, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Marnie, Rope, Saboteur, Topaz, Torn Curtain, The Trouble with Harry
Link to the Amazon listing is here.
I already own about half of these, but it's totally worth it to buy the set, sell/trade the double copies, and have a nice-looking set on the shelf.
So, act fast and grab it before it sells out... good luck!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Movies You May Have Missed - #9
Angus (1995)
"Superman isn't brave... he's indestructible. And you can't be brave if you're indestructible."
Well, here we are... one of my all-time favorite movies. I really have a soft spot for this one. I suppose part of the reason for that is that I saw it in the theater when it was originally released, and watched it many times on video when I was growing up. However, I revisited this movie about five or six years ago and found that not only does it hold up surprisingly well, but also that my fondness for it is rooted not only in nostalgia... this is a great movie.
I'll start this right off the bat by pointing out the sad, disappointing truth: This movie is not available on DVD. Yes, that's right. We're in 2009, and this great little movie is STILL not on disc. Apparently, rights issues have held up the release, but more on that later. Needless to say, the clips below are from my VHS copy of the movie, currently the only way to see it.
Angus is the story of an overweight high school boy (the title character), who, when picked as the "Winter Ball King" at the upcoming school dance as a prank by his nemesis Rick Sandford (James Van Der Beek, in his first major role), decides to actually go through with it for the chance to dance with Melissa (Ariana Richards - Jurassic Park), the girl he's had a life-long, unspoken infatuation with.
Now, wait. Let's stop right there. I know what you're thinking. How many times have we seen that before? The answer: way too many. Although the story doesn't really have anything new to offer, the characters shine, and that's the real reason to see this film. Angus was played by first-time actor Charlie Talbert, who was discovered by the director at a Wendy's restaurant, goofing around with a friend as they waited in line. He truly is a revelation. Talbert never really went on to do much after this, but he really was amazing in this role, and I'd like to see him make a comeback.
The other two reasons for the film's success are director Patrick Read Johnson and writer Jill Gordon. Johnson had previously directed two mainstream comedies, Spaced Invaders and Baby's Day Out, but it's obvious that he was working on a more personal level here, and that passion continuously shines through. Gordon, a former television writer for shows like My So-Called Life and thirtysomething, adapted a short story by Chris Crutcher into this feature. The fact that she was involved with My So-Called Life says it all, and needless to say she brings lots of nice little realistic touches to this story of high school life.
After a pre-title sequence in which we see Angus grow up through the years, we join him in the present day, where he and his best friend Troy (Chris Owen - American Pie) are both on the school's football team, yet are still unappreciated. This title sequence, set to Love Spit Love's "Am I Wrong", is a wonderful opening to the film, and sets just the right tone - humor and honesty, with a little bit of heartbreak thrown in:
This is probably a good time to point out the music in the film. Although the movie itself was far from a hit, the soundtrack was a bestseller. Filled with songs from alternative bands like Weezer and Green Day, the music is stellar. Below, here's a scene featuring great use of the Goo Goo Dolls song "Ain't That Unusual". It's also a great example of the direction in the film; this short sequence is obviously evocative of the character's isolation, and gets this point across efficiently and effectively:
And here's a montage sequence featuring Green Day's song "J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)", which they wrote specifically for the film:
Now it's time to talk about the two biggest tricks this movie has up its sleeve: Oscar winners George C. Scott and Kathy Bates. Playing Angus's grandfather and mother, respectively, Scott and Bates both deliver great performances in a short amount of screen time (although they are, quite understandably, first-billed). Most of their work is done separately, but this is the second of their two scenes together, which I've always found quite moving:
Apparently, from what I've read online, the original cut of Angus was quite different from the final version. In the original short story (which I've never read) both of Angus's parents are gay, and the film was shot with this story structure intact. Eventually, however, perhaps due to test screenings or some other reason, this was changed, and Angus's opening narration explains that his father died of a heart attack when his mother was in labor. That's all fine with me, since these changes meant the beefing-up of the grandfather character, and the addition of fine scenes like this one, in which Scott explains to Angus that "Superman isn't brave". Great stuff.
Here's another music sequence, set to Peter Gabriel's "Washing of the Water". It's a scene following a main character's death (which, although I won't reveal who, you can probably figure it out), and it's all done very well: simple and beautiful, with no dialogue.
And finally, Angus gets his "moment" as he dances with Melissa. The best-ever use of Mazzy Star's wonderful (and overplayed) "Fade Into You". A heartbreakingly short moment of triumph for Angus after all the trials and tribulations throughout the film, but that's how it should be, because after all, that's how it really is.
Although it was barely a blip on the radar when it was released back in 1995, Angus has steadily grown a cult following over the years, leading many to ask "What gives?" of the movie's non-presence on DVD. Apparently there was a huge movie-rights snafu somewhere along the line: The movie was a production of Ted Turner's short-lived Turner Pictures, but was distributed by New Line. As the story goes, the film is still under copyright by Turner Pictures, but New Line thought that they were the owners of the film when they sold the rights to the movie years ago. Neither of the companies remember who they sold the rights to, and no one has stepped forward to claim they own it. So the only reason that this film is unavailable (even the VHS is out-of-print) is that someone lost some paperwork. Hopefully this will be cleared up at some point.
But as the many fans of this film know, we're just glad that it's available at all. Although the humor can be a little broad at times (probably in an attempt to appeal to a young audience), Angus gets so many things right that it's easy to look past its faults. It came from the heart and swung for the fences, and although it really is a simple little story about a big kid who dreams of being anything other than himself, it was told with such honesty and warmth and affection for its characters that it has found a steadily increasing audience, grateful for the conviction of the filmmakers in presenting us a warm, admirable and memorable character named Angus.
If you'd like to see Angus released on DVD, please sign the petition here. Although this is unlikely to single-handedly influence a studio to release it, every little bit helps.
Well, here we are... one of my all-time favorite movies. I really have a soft spot for this one. I suppose part of the reason for that is that I saw it in the theater when it was originally released, and watched it many times on video when I was growing up. However, I revisited this movie about five or six years ago and found that not only does it hold up surprisingly well, but also that my fondness for it is rooted not only in nostalgia... this is a great movie.
I'll start this right off the bat by pointing out the sad, disappointing truth: This movie is not available on DVD. Yes, that's right. We're in 2009, and this great little movie is STILL not on disc. Apparently, rights issues have held up the release, but more on that later. Needless to say, the clips below are from my VHS copy of the movie, currently the only way to see it.
Angus is the story of an overweight high school boy (the title character), who, when picked as the "Winter Ball King" at the upcoming school dance as a prank by his nemesis Rick Sandford (James Van Der Beek, in his first major role), decides to actually go through with it for the chance to dance with Melissa (Ariana Richards - Jurassic Park), the girl he's had a life-long, unspoken infatuation with.
Now, wait. Let's stop right there. I know what you're thinking. How many times have we seen that before? The answer: way too many. Although the story doesn't really have anything new to offer, the characters shine, and that's the real reason to see this film. Angus was played by first-time actor Charlie Talbert, who was discovered by the director at a Wendy's restaurant, goofing around with a friend as they waited in line. He truly is a revelation. Talbert never really went on to do much after this, but he really was amazing in this role, and I'd like to see him make a comeback.
The other two reasons for the film's success are director Patrick Read Johnson and writer Jill Gordon. Johnson had previously directed two mainstream comedies, Spaced Invaders and Baby's Day Out, but it's obvious that he was working on a more personal level here, and that passion continuously shines through. Gordon, a former television writer for shows like My So-Called Life and thirtysomething, adapted a short story by Chris Crutcher into this feature. The fact that she was involved with My So-Called Life says it all, and needless to say she brings lots of nice little realistic touches to this story of high school life.
After a pre-title sequence in which we see Angus grow up through the years, we join him in the present day, where he and his best friend Troy (Chris Owen - American Pie) are both on the school's football team, yet are still unappreciated. This title sequence, set to Love Spit Love's "Am I Wrong", is a wonderful opening to the film, and sets just the right tone - humor and honesty, with a little bit of heartbreak thrown in:
This is probably a good time to point out the music in the film. Although the movie itself was far from a hit, the soundtrack was a bestseller. Filled with songs from alternative bands like Weezer and Green Day, the music is stellar. Below, here's a scene featuring great use of the Goo Goo Dolls song "Ain't That Unusual". It's also a great example of the direction in the film; this short sequence is obviously evocative of the character's isolation, and gets this point across efficiently and effectively:
And here's a montage sequence featuring Green Day's song "J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)", which they wrote specifically for the film:
Now it's time to talk about the two biggest tricks this movie has up its sleeve: Oscar winners George C. Scott and Kathy Bates. Playing Angus's grandfather and mother, respectively, Scott and Bates both deliver great performances in a short amount of screen time (although they are, quite understandably, first-billed). Most of their work is done separately, but this is the second of their two scenes together, which I've always found quite moving:
Apparently, from what I've read online, the original cut of Angus was quite different from the final version. In the original short story (which I've never read) both of Angus's parents are gay, and the film was shot with this story structure intact. Eventually, however, perhaps due to test screenings or some other reason, this was changed, and Angus's opening narration explains that his father died of a heart attack when his mother was in labor. That's all fine with me, since these changes meant the beefing-up of the grandfather character, and the addition of fine scenes like this one, in which Scott explains to Angus that "Superman isn't brave". Great stuff.
Here's another music sequence, set to Peter Gabriel's "Washing of the Water". It's a scene following a main character's death (which, although I won't reveal who, you can probably figure it out), and it's all done very well: simple and beautiful, with no dialogue.
And finally, Angus gets his "moment" as he dances with Melissa. The best-ever use of Mazzy Star's wonderful (and overplayed) "Fade Into You". A heartbreakingly short moment of triumph for Angus after all the trials and tribulations throughout the film, but that's how it should be, because after all, that's how it really is.
Although it was barely a blip on the radar when it was released back in 1995, Angus has steadily grown a cult following over the years, leading many to ask "What gives?" of the movie's non-presence on DVD. Apparently there was a huge movie-rights snafu somewhere along the line: The movie was a production of Ted Turner's short-lived Turner Pictures, but was distributed by New Line. As the story goes, the film is still under copyright by Turner Pictures, but New Line thought that they were the owners of the film when they sold the rights to the movie years ago. Neither of the companies remember who they sold the rights to, and no one has stepped forward to claim they own it. So the only reason that this film is unavailable (even the VHS is out-of-print) is that someone lost some paperwork. Hopefully this will be cleared up at some point.
But as the many fans of this film know, we're just glad that it's available at all. Although the humor can be a little broad at times (probably in an attempt to appeal to a young audience), Angus gets so many things right that it's easy to look past its faults. It came from the heart and swung for the fences, and although it really is a simple little story about a big kid who dreams of being anything other than himself, it was told with such honesty and warmth and affection for its characters that it has found a steadily increasing audience, grateful for the conviction of the filmmakers in presenting us a warm, admirable and memorable character named Angus.
If you'd like to see Angus released on DVD, please sign the petition here. Although this is unlikely to single-handedly influence a studio to release it, every little bit helps.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Oscar’s Best Picture Nominees Will Expand to Ten
In the Best Picture category, instead of five nominees and one winner, next year there will be ten nominees and one winner.
Read article here:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/breaking-oscars-best-picture-nominees-will-expand-to-ten
My opinion? This is way too little, way too late...
The Academy needs a complete restructuring, right from the bottom up, with the addition of new categories like an Academy Award for CASTING, not to mention a change in the rules for who actually gets to be an Academy member (if an Academy member dies before their ten-year term as a voter is up, the privilege of voting often goes to a family member or spouse, even if they're not involved in the industry).
Oh well, at least they're doing something, I guess...
Read article here:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/breaking-oscars-best-picture-nominees-will-expand-to-ten
My opinion? This is way too little, way too late...
The Academy needs a complete restructuring, right from the bottom up, with the addition of new categories like an Academy Award for CASTING, not to mention a change in the rules for who actually gets to be an Academy member (if an Academy member dies before their ten-year term as a voter is up, the privilege of voting often goes to a family member or spouse, even if they're not involved in the industry).
Oh well, at least they're doing something, I guess...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Movies You May Have Missed - #8
Roger Dodger (2002)
As always, Facebook users need to click "View Original Post" to see the video clips.
Also, regarding the clips themselves: All of them contain varying amounts of strong language and/or semi-graphic sexual dialogue - so it's probably best to consider them NSFW.
Writer/director Dylan Kidd's debut feature Roger Dodger never really got the kind of attention it deserved when it was released back in 2002. But with its terrific, memorable dialogue and fascinating insight into human sexuality and loneliness, Kidd's film was able to garner critical acclaim, several awards, and a well-deserved place among many of 2002's "Best-of" lists.
Campbell Scott (Singles) plays the titular Roger, a perpetual bachelor whose life has always revolved around himself - and, by extension, his many women. A well-educated and intelligent man with an uncanny ability to quickly size-up anyone around him, he's been able to implement this talent into a successful career as an advertising executive, where he coerces people into playing a sort of "substitution game", as they attempt to fill the insufferable "voids" in their lives by purchasing material things.
There's only one thing Roger enjoys more than women: Hearing himself talk. Roger's a man with an answer for everything, and he wants to make sure you've heard every single word of it. This, of course, is where Dylan Kidd's amazing dialogue comes into play. I present to you the opening scene of the movie:
After watching the above clip, there's probably one thing that stood out for you even more than the deft wordplay... I'm talking, of course, of the camerawork. Now, this has proven to be a real sore spot with people. Even those who praised the dialogue and performances had a real problem with the constantly-moving, intentionally "shaky" hand-held camera. Me? I loved it. I thought it was perfect. It's a bold choice (the entire film is shot this way) - but for me, it's the perfect visual embodiment of Roger's chain-smoking, loose-cannon, shoot-from-the-hip character. The one sequence where the camera is locked off - a single shot near the end of the film - is a great pay-off, suggesting his character's growth and maturity. Of course, there were other technical and budgetary reasons behind the movie's style, but we'll get to that later...
So, from that first scene, we're introduced to the kind of person that Roger is, and has been, for quite some time. But Roger, now in his late 30's, has been flirting with stability. He's been in a relationship with his boss, Joyce (Isabella Rossellini), for an extended period of time. We sense that, with him reaching middle age and she being nearly twenty years older than him, he's grown content - perhaps even comfortable - with the arrangement. But his world is about to come crashing down.
Joyce dumps him, and Roger, enraged and at a loss for what to do next, returns to the late-night bar-hopping ways of which he's most familiar. We see him eyeing a girl across the room, and we think we know what's about to occur. But then Kidd's screenplay surprises us:
He obviously sees a parallel between these women and his own situation. But, feeling deeply hurt and betrayed, he's unable (or unwilling) to care about anyone or anything other than himself, and so he sets out to destroy them, so that he''ll be able to feel - if only for a moment - a little bit better about himself.
It's at moments like this when you realize how amazing the writing and direction - and especially Campbell Scott's performance - really are, because all of this is, at face value, some really fucked-up shit... But it's funny as hell, and you can't wait to see what will happen next.
What does happen next is not only a surprise, but the perfect place for the film to go. Roger's 16-year-old nephew, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg -The Squid and the Whale) drops by for a visit. The primary reason for Nick's New York trip is apparently some college interviews, but we quickly learn that he has other intentions: He's come for some much-needed advice from Roger...
The above sequence was shot in Times Square (only a month after 9/11), with no permits, and very little money. It was accomplished by placing the camera in a van, parked on the street, and placing a "shade" in the van's window which would allow the camera to see out, but no one else to see in. An obvious case of form following function, you can now see a main reason for the film's handheld look. The scene above was shot in the only way possible for the budget available: Throwing the two leads out into a sea of real people, and quickly framing-out of the picture the many, many people who have not signed releases to be in the film. But because they've started the film's bold camerawork from the very first scene, this sequence, admittedly chaotic from a cinematographic perspective, doesn't feel out of place.
So, without going much further and giving anything away, I'll mention that the film goes on to even more amazing dialogue and an incredible, nearly 30-minute sequence consisting entirely of four characters around a table. I'll leave it at that.
This picture, while not a huge success, was far from a failure. Its final gross was $1.2 million on a somewhat low budget. I've never been able to find an exact number on the budget, but it was not nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards' John Cassavetes Award (best film made for less than $500,000) so I'd guess that the budget was somewhere between that and $1 million.
The movie's real success was on the awards circuit: It won Best First Film at the Venice Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature Film at the Tribeca Film Festival, and (most surprisingly) Best Actor for Campbell Scott from the National Board of Review.
Dylan Kidd never really ended up delivering on the promise of this picture... His follow-up, P.S., starring Laura Linney, was based on a novel and was co-scripted by the novel's author and Kidd. A good film, but a complete 180-degree turn from Roger Dodger, and it only grossed $175,000.
So, in summation: Great movie, completely worth your time, not quite as dark as I may have made it seem from the comments and clips, and very, very funny.
(I should also mention that Spike Lee in 2005 named Roger Dodger as one of his "favorite films of the decade so far", alongside films like Brokeback Mountain and Requiem for a Dream.)
Also, regarding the clips themselves: All of them contain varying amounts of strong language and/or semi-graphic sexual dialogue - so it's probably best to consider them NSFW.
Writer/director Dylan Kidd's debut feature Roger Dodger never really got the kind of attention it deserved when it was released back in 2002. But with its terrific, memorable dialogue and fascinating insight into human sexuality and loneliness, Kidd's film was able to garner critical acclaim, several awards, and a well-deserved place among many of 2002's "Best-of" lists.
Campbell Scott (Singles) plays the titular Roger, a perpetual bachelor whose life has always revolved around himself - and, by extension, his many women. A well-educated and intelligent man with an uncanny ability to quickly size-up anyone around him, he's been able to implement this talent into a successful career as an advertising executive, where he coerces people into playing a sort of "substitution game", as they attempt to fill the insufferable "voids" in their lives by purchasing material things.
There's only one thing Roger enjoys more than women: Hearing himself talk. Roger's a man with an answer for everything, and he wants to make sure you've heard every single word of it. This, of course, is where Dylan Kidd's amazing dialogue comes into play. I present to you the opening scene of the movie:
After watching the above clip, there's probably one thing that stood out for you even more than the deft wordplay... I'm talking, of course, of the camerawork. Now, this has proven to be a real sore spot with people. Even those who praised the dialogue and performances had a real problem with the constantly-moving, intentionally "shaky" hand-held camera. Me? I loved it. I thought it was perfect. It's a bold choice (the entire film is shot this way) - but for me, it's the perfect visual embodiment of Roger's chain-smoking, loose-cannon, shoot-from-the-hip character. The one sequence where the camera is locked off - a single shot near the end of the film - is a great pay-off, suggesting his character's growth and maturity. Of course, there were other technical and budgetary reasons behind the movie's style, but we'll get to that later...
So, from that first scene, we're introduced to the kind of person that Roger is, and has been, for quite some time. But Roger, now in his late 30's, has been flirting with stability. He's been in a relationship with his boss, Joyce (Isabella Rossellini), for an extended period of time. We sense that, with him reaching middle age and she being nearly twenty years older than him, he's grown content - perhaps even comfortable - with the arrangement. But his world is about to come crashing down.
Joyce dumps him, and Roger, enraged and at a loss for what to do next, returns to the late-night bar-hopping ways of which he's most familiar. We see him eyeing a girl across the room, and we think we know what's about to occur. But then Kidd's screenplay surprises us:
He obviously sees a parallel between these women and his own situation. But, feeling deeply hurt and betrayed, he's unable (or unwilling) to care about anyone or anything other than himself, and so he sets out to destroy them, so that he''ll be able to feel - if only for a moment - a little bit better about himself.
It's at moments like this when you realize how amazing the writing and direction - and especially Campbell Scott's performance - really are, because all of this is, at face value, some really fucked-up shit... But it's funny as hell, and you can't wait to see what will happen next.
What does happen next is not only a surprise, but the perfect place for the film to go. Roger's 16-year-old nephew, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg -The Squid and the Whale) drops by for a visit. The primary reason for Nick's New York trip is apparently some college interviews, but we quickly learn that he has other intentions: He's come for some much-needed advice from Roger...
The above sequence was shot in Times Square (only a month after 9/11), with no permits, and very little money. It was accomplished by placing the camera in a van, parked on the street, and placing a "shade" in the van's window which would allow the camera to see out, but no one else to see in. An obvious case of form following function, you can now see a main reason for the film's handheld look. The scene above was shot in the only way possible for the budget available: Throwing the two leads out into a sea of real people, and quickly framing-out of the picture the many, many people who have not signed releases to be in the film. But because they've started the film's bold camerawork from the very first scene, this sequence, admittedly chaotic from a cinematographic perspective, doesn't feel out of place.
So, without going much further and giving anything away, I'll mention that the film goes on to even more amazing dialogue and an incredible, nearly 30-minute sequence consisting entirely of four characters around a table. I'll leave it at that.
This picture, while not a huge success, was far from a failure. Its final gross was $1.2 million on a somewhat low budget. I've never been able to find an exact number on the budget, but it was not nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards' John Cassavetes Award (best film made for less than $500,000) so I'd guess that the budget was somewhere between that and $1 million.
The movie's real success was on the awards circuit: It won Best First Film at the Venice Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature Film at the Tribeca Film Festival, and (most surprisingly) Best Actor for Campbell Scott from the National Board of Review.
Dylan Kidd never really ended up delivering on the promise of this picture... His follow-up, P.S., starring Laura Linney, was based on a novel and was co-scripted by the novel's author and Kidd. A good film, but a complete 180-degree turn from Roger Dodger, and it only grossed $175,000.
So, in summation: Great movie, completely worth your time, not quite as dark as I may have made it seem from the comments and clips, and very, very funny.
(I should also mention that Spike Lee in 2005 named Roger Dodger as one of his "favorite films of the decade so far", alongside films like Brokeback Mountain and Requiem for a Dream.)
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Baby reacts to "Where the Wild Things Are" Trailer
This has got to be the cutest thing I've ever seen:
A one-year-old boy reacting to the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are.
I guess the studio shouldn't have had any worries about the movie not appealing to kids...
Here it is:
A one-year-old boy reacting to the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are.
I guess the studio shouldn't have had any worries about the movie not appealing to kids...
Here it is:
Trailer Reaction from We Love You So on Vimeo.
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